Hi guys, I just finished rebuilding my Honda motor and I'm the process of finding a good synthetic motor oil once I break the motor in. Basically, my motor is a high RPM screamer, so I'm looking for a synthetic oil that will do well at high RPM's (9000+RPM) with a lot of spirited driving. After doing some reading and researching on this board, it seems to me that none of the on-shelf synethic motor oils are any good. I'm located in Canada, so I can't get my hands on oils like Shaefer. which you guys highly recommend.I know you guys also recommend Valvoline MaxLife, but since my motor is basically brand new, I don't know if that is a good idea, fearing that the oil will toast my new valve seals, o-rings and gaskets.I remembered someone in here recommending Valvoline SynPower. Are they any good at all, comparing to all the other on-shelf synthetic oils? Oils like Redline or Amsoil cost way too much for me, so there's no way I can afford those. So I'm looking for the best on-shelf synthetic oil at a price of the normal retail price for my high RPM screamer. Also, what range (5W-30, 10W-30, 10W40, 5W-50, etc.) will be good for my motor? Thanks in advnace!

quote:it seems to me that none of the on-shelf synethic motor oils are any good.

Not true. There are good OTC oils available, you just need to be aware of what you are buying. The only true "synthetic" currently available OTC is Mobil 1. It's till a Group IV PAO base. All others "synthetics" available OTC (Penzoil, Valvoline) use a Group III base are not 100% synthetic per se. Does not mean they are bad oils, just not a true synthetic.

I believe the Valvoline SynPower is one of the best synthetic (ahem*) motor oils one can buy OTC. Simply speaking from experience I have not had a problem running any of Valvoline's products, and they seem to keep engine internals very clean - no varnishing. For that matter I've had nothing but great experiences running the DuraBlend they make - but I've never ran any oil tests on the stuff just yet (didn't know they existed back then). Also, until I see some proof from further oil analysis that its good, I am staying away from the new SuperSyn Mobil-1.

This is a purely subjective statement I know, but if I were to choose from all the OTC oils right now sitting on a shelf at Wal-Mart -- my confidence would go with Valvoline.

The only other 2 oils I for sure know are just as good and could possibly be better are not OTC, and those are Schaeffer's and Redline, with Schaeffer's being a far cry better bang for the buck.

If you decide to choose Valvoline - and you're worried its not doing what it should - there is no reason not to have it analysed. Its the only surefire way of knowing whether what you chose is doing what it should for your engine. Goodluck and let us know what you decide on

I used this stuff for about a year and overall, I was disappointed in it. First of all, Valvoline will tell you that it's PAO ... which is a lie. It's Group III. I heard this numerous times from others and spoke to one of their chemists myself once. Add to that the fact that Valvoline says their Max-Life is a Group III oil when it is actually a Group II. I no longer think highly of them, their word or their reputation.

Next, when in my crankcase, Synpower oil is the ONLY oil that showed any consumption. I don't know what the problem was but the car soon began consuming about 1/3 to 1/2 of a quart in 4,000 miles. I used Mobil 1 prior to that and it did not consume any oil between 6,000 mile drain intervals.

It took 6 months with Red Line to get my Honda's consumption back to zero after I switched away from Valvoline Synpower.

this is sad to say this about myself but....if y'all want me to, I can post the specs of almost every synthetic and group II oil (the major ones that is) that I have compiled. I've got a ton of them if y'all are interested to do a comparison of them.

Oh, and I've also got the MSDS for Texaco's synthetic oils that are made by Equilon, LLC. Equilon were(for those that dont know), owned by Texaco & Shell oil co.'s and is now fully owned by Shell oil.

My point is this. This CAS#'s listed for Texaco's syn. oils are not the same as the one(s) made by Equilon. For instance, here is Equilon's Texaco branded 5w-40 syn. oil. (Oh, and whats funnier is that its not even listed on the Chevron-Texaco site that they even carry it!: Anyways, heres the info:

my advice is to either use BMW's Synthetic oil (5w-30) as its made by Castrol, but uses a composition completely different than that of Syntec. Our Syntec does not meet the ACEA A3 standard (do a search about it), whereas the BMW syn. oil does. This translates to great protection from your engine that you will NOT get, IMHO, from any OTC oils in the same viscosity. To get close, I'd try the new Mobil 1 0w-40.

Next, Im going to try AGIP syn. 5w-40 for summer and 5w-30 for winter. Great syn. oil thats, from what Im told by an AGIP contact, a full PAO syn. Also of interest is that, the VI's are low (relatively, that is) and AGIP say's its because they use almost no VI improvers in their syn. oil and their group II+ oils as well.

Information on the ChevronTexaco site is in a state of change. This week dozens of sheets were changed. Some products are in msds but not specs, some the other way. My guess is that it will take them months to sort it all out and post it in all the places.

Both are full synth 75% PAO's and 10% esters. The additive packages differ slightly bewteen the Texaco and the Havoline.

I guess what Chris is saying is that the Chemical Standard's numbers aren't quite the same wrt to the Equilon and the Texaco/Havoline's. That is not uncommon. The CAS numbers may differ because of different suppliers and processes; nothing with which to really be concerned.